by Sandra Murphy & Gabriel Valjan
This week we are reviewing The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan, and we have a guest post by Gabriel about dogs and cats in mysteries. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.
The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan
Review by Sandra Murphy
When you’re a PI and dealing with Southie mobs, it’s a tightrope walk. Doing a favor, taking a job from both the Irish and the Italians at the same time, is working without a net. On the other hand, the reward is worth the risk, isn’t it? Shane Cleary convinces himself it is.
Shane’s girlfriend is an attorney. One of the favors he’s asked to do involves her, but it’s made clear, she will be shielded so no taint of mob activity can tarnish her reputation. A former cop, Shane can’t turn down the request when a cop asks for a favor. It’s relatively minor but not without risk. 
Bonnie has been assigned a pro bono case. The firm believes the guy is guilty despite the evidence. Plead it out, wrap it up, get back to your real work, cases that pay, is their motto. Bonnie doesn’t believe in convicting an innocent man. With Shane’s help, can she prove her case?
What might be the biggest case is also the oddest which, all things considered, was quite a challenge. Jimmy is a dangerous man, a mobster feared by other mob families and ‘civilian’ families alike. When he asks Shane to find Boo, it turns out Boo is a standard poodle, gone missing under mysterious circumstances. How do you find one big poodle in a city the size of Boston? Quickly, quietly, and without fail, before the mob boss sends someone to find you. And then there are the two times Shane’s grabbed up by the cops, none too gently, and accused of murder.
Shane’s story reads like 40s noir but is set decades later. The Southies come through loud and clear, just by opening their mouths. With twist after twist, protection and betrayal, you’ll keep the pages turning until the very end and wish for more. Considering the cliffhanger ending, your wish should come true. I love the language and trying to figure out who did what and for what reason, always being wrong, and delighted to be shown the right answer that makes perfect sense.
This is the fifth book in the series and the first reviewed in KRL. Valjan also writes the Company Files series, three books there. My only problem is, now I have to get the first four books and then the Company Files series. It’s that good.
The Art of the Woof and Meow
By Gabriel Valjan
I saw a cartoon that summarizes why some writers prefer cats to dogs. The image depicted a cat and a dog on a settee. The dog is reading a copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People, published in 1936 and a bible of sorts to businessmen for generations. The cat is perusing a copy of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, a treatise on military strategy that dates to roughly the 5th century BCE. It, too, is a darling of captains of industry for advice on leadership. The humorous snapshot suggests that we read what we wish to become, and at the same time to embrace our inner nature.
Readers of cozy mysteries are familiar with the motif of an animal familiar. Paranormal fiction is known to showcase pet companions. Irrespective of genre, mystery or otherwise, the universal rule is that no harm shall come to the cat, dog, or pixie. Violate this unspoken rule and the author risks losing the audience and their following. The choice of the ‘other’ partner, however, says lots.
It’s my experience that dogs live to please and receive praise. I see this all the time in my neighborhood in the South End of Boston. A person is walking their dog and, without realizing it, Rex is sauntering along, eyes up and checking in with his human. He seeks reassurance. Am I a good boy? Dogs are carefree and low-maintenance.
It’s a cliché that cat owners are mere servants. Cats are moody, temperamental, and their own boss. They couldn’t care less. What it boils down to is Fido is predictable and safe, whereas Fifi is unpredictable, the embodiment of chaos. Life can go from a purring chatterbox one minute to a screech and blood everywhere, the next.
In cozy mysteries, the pet partner can demonstrate skills beyond human capacity, such as hearing, smell, or even judgment. Don’t we joke that we ought to trust how Rex reacts to a prospective romantic partner? In the case of cats, it’s more complicated because part of their allure is not knowing what Miss Ferocious thinks, but the point is she has an opinion, even if it is the usual nose in the air, and swish of the tail. And then there is what I call the offset.
The four-legged character provides a break in tension in storytelling, a welcome distraction. They are characters in their own right, whether they are a sycophantic woof or a curmudgeonly meow. Since humor is difficult to write—and an honest writer will admit that funny bones are hard to tickle just right—the presence of a furball is often enough.
Lest we forget the old canard that we come to look like our dogs, and our dogs, like us, though, I’ve never heard anyone say this about cats, which says a lot about feline sovereignty.
Delilah in the Shane Cleary mystery series is Shane’s steadfast friend, a barometer of his emotional landscape and, more importantly, the voice of his conscience. She is loyal, moral, and not susceptible to bribery by treats. She may sleep, but she is vigilant and protective of her human. She may not seek to please like her canine cousin, but she is frank to a fault, and she answers Shane’s questions with blinks or bared fangs.
Pick up a copy of Shane Cleary. There are five books in the series. Delilah is present. Curl up to her, but don’t pet her. She has cases to solve and opinions to express, and often, a war to wage against the enemies and threats around Shane Cleary.
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To enter to win an ebook copy of The Big Lie, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “big lie” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 27, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
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Sounds like a good read. Italians
and Irish – great combination.
thanks txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds interesting! Count me in!
We have a winner!